Sliding roof panel



May 30, 1939- M. MARCHENK 2,160,366

` sLIDING RooF PANEL 6 Filed June :5, 179574 v n' t /7/9 /50/ /Zjl/ Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFl-CE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in sliding roof panels for vehicles such as motorcoaches, taxicabs, Imotor-"boats and cabin airplanes.

6 Ob'a'ects Among the principal objects which the present invention has 2in 'view are: to V.provide .a sliding panel on 'theroof of .a vehicle `whereby the same vin open position will permit air to lenter 1,0 through an opening 'into the vehicle; Vto provide accessible means Vfor 4sliding the roof panel hori- `zontally and in a forwardly and rearward direction with respect to Ithe roof .of the vehicle; .to provide means `.on fthe vehicle roof whereby the roof panel is prevented yfrom :becoming dislodged and to readily be guided .-i-n its vforward or rearward movement; to enable Ithe vroof panel tto be moved in a limited forward direction for .permitting air tto enter through the roof opening 20 into 'the interior of .the vehicle; to be .enabled to move .the :roof panel rearwardly ff-rom open 'position to entirely close the roof opening during 'adverse weather conditions; to zsecure simplicity of .construction and operation; and :to obtain :other :advantages .and results from the following `de- 'scription Drawing Figure 1 ris a plan view illustrative `of a roof 30 of a Vehicle and `showing my improved sliding roof panel and means for operating the same;

Figure 2 `is 'an enlarged 'longitudinal sectional view shown as `taken on line 2-"2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view `shown 35 astaken online 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a `plan of the mechanism for operating the roof panel; Vand Figure '5 is a `sectional View shown as taken on line 5-5 yof yrFigure 4.

40 Description As Vseen in the drawing, and :referring now `more particularly to Figures 1tor3 there is shown a vehicle roof lI1Il linwhich isprovided an `opening II towards the rear or passenger `compartment of the vehicle vand adapted to kbe closed .or `un- -covered by a longitudinally ys'lidable roof panel I2. Said `slidable Aroof panel I2 preferably may be constructed to provide unbreakable or .shatk terproof glass or like transparency medium,

whereby when Ain closed 'position over the opening II, passengers who may be riding in the vehicle will have an unobstructed view and be shielded from any inclemencias of the weather,

55 as well as protected from any possible shatter- .as found desirable.

Yi-ng .of .the transparency medium. With the slidable roof .panel moved into open positionjfrom the opening I I, as may .be Adone during pleasant weather, the passengers then may enjoy additional fresh air along with that entering the 5 vehicles by virtue of open windows (not shown), as well as having the benefit of unfiltered sunlight from above.

The panel preferably comprises a sash having .sides 13., I3 as part of the frame in which the l0 transparency medium I3a is mounted. Said sides 13, I`3 of the panel may be .guided conveniently in L-shaped tracks' I4, I4 arranged along the sides of the opening II and extending from the rear .thereof to the forward part of the roof a .suicient distance whereby the roof panel, when slid forwardly of the opening, will still be within and not become dislodged from the tracks. 'The side members I3, I3 of the panel 4'I2 `preferably extend outwardly rfrom the sides and then downwardly and inwardly to form L-shaped guideways I5, I5. The inwardly directed lip I'5a of each s'idemember is adapted to vengage under an outwardly directed Vrail edge ofk an L-shaped track I4. Said side members will,.therefore, `for this entire length completely overlie the tracks in use, thereby preventing seepage of water into the vehicle during inclement weather. The tracks I4, .I4 for convenience, are preferably .made fast vto the roof I'IJ as by screws I6 and'may 30 easily "be replaced if necessary by removing said screws. Adjacent the opening II at vthe edge thereof next the back of the Yvehicle and upon .theupper side of roof I Ilis provided a forwardly directed cross member or housing Ilfor receiving ilashing extension I8 on the rear edge of the panel I2 when .said panel "is slid rearwardly for closing the opening. Said cross member or housing, as viewed in section, may be channelled as seen 'in Figure 2 and may be an inte- 40 gral part v.of the roof construction or otherwise The channel preferably extends .the full width of opening II, and within the vchannel and extending entirely across the same is a cushioning means, such as a rubber gasket I9 against which the rear edge of extension I8 of 'the panel I2 snugly abuts, `and in addition to constituting a cushioning means and stop for the panelfserves'as a seal against `water entering the vehicle during a rain or other un- Afavorable weather conditions. The forward edge of the panel depends, as at I 2a between the tracks to substantial engagement with the top of the roof, and at the forward edge of the opening II the roof provides a groove or gutter Illa in advance of which is an upstanding bead or rib Ib extending from track to track. The forward face of this bead may likewise have a cushioning and sealing gasket of rubber, felt or other material extending across from track to track and engageable by the rear face of the depending front-piece I2a of the panel when the panel is slid rearwardly. Thus the panel will be cushioned and sealed at its front edge as just described as well as at its rear edge as previously described to prevent entry of water thereat during rain or other inclement conditions, and both will effectively seal against cold air in winter `or at other times when such circumstance is'not desired.

In carrying out the invention, suitable means may be utilized for operating the panel for opening and closing the same. In the specific embodiment herein illustrated, such means may be a rectangular housing or member 20 suspended from the under side of the roof of the drivers compartment of the vehicle and held in place to the roof adjacent its forward end as by a bracket 2l, and at its rear end by another bracket 22 securing said end `to the partition wall or that part of the vehicle separating the passenger compartment and the drivers compartment. The driver of such vehicle being enabled at all times to operate the panel. The said rectangular housing or member in cross-section is a channel of U-shape, as in Figures 4 and 5, and within said housing is provided another U-shaped member 23 but is inverted with respect to the first; the reason thereof'will be apparent from the following. Adjacent each end and within. the members 20 and 23 are .sprockets 24, 24 for receiving an endless sprocket chain 25 thereon, with said sprockets and sprocket chain entirely enclosed within the Walls of the members 20 and 23. In order that the respective members 20.and 23 may be held fast to each other, the member 23 may have its base wall stamped at spaced intervals with the material or tongues 26 thereof bent at right angles .to the base wall and then longitudinally parallel thereto in offset position to engage the inside Vof the base wall of the member 20. Screws 21 in the offset portions of tongues 2G and the base wall ofthe other channel will thus hold the two channels assembled. Said tongues likewise may be utilized asguides for the sprocket chain when inv operation. Should, for any reason, the mechanism breakdown within the members 20 and v23, repair or replacement maybe readily 4made by rst removing the screws 21 and then releasing the channel member 23 from its position in the channel member 20.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, inner channel memberV 23 is slotted longitudinally on one side, with the slotV 28 extending substantially the entire length ofthe channel. Attached to the reach of the sprocket chain next said slot 28 is an L-shaped bracket 29 having a longer end protruding through said slot and upwardly beyond the top of the housing or members 20 and 23. At forward and rear edges of said brackets 29,-the material is bent to form laterally directed`iinger or guides 30 immediately outside of channel member 23 substantially in ilatwise but sliding'engagement therewith for guiding purposes. to prevent the bracket from tilting. A

longitudinally disposed rod 3l extending in the same direction of sliding movement of the slidable panel l2 and longitudinally parallel to the channel members 2U and 23, is attached to the under side of the panel adjacent the mid part of the rear end portion thereof. The forward end of said rod may conveniently be flattened and attached to the protruding end of the bracket 29. It may here be said that the rod 3| preferably is close to the roof inside the vehicle in order that it will not interfere with the comfort of any passengers who may be in the vehicle. As operation of the slidable panel l2 is preferably under control of the driver, it is preferred that housing members 20 and 23 be within the drivers compartment and that the rod pass through an opening provided in the partition or separating wall between the driver and passenger compartments. In assemblying the parts, the rodmay be inserted through the opening before anend of the rod, such as the forward end, is attached in place.

In operation, when desiring to move the sliding panel l2 in either direction, there is provided a crank handle 32 adjacent the forward end of the members 2B and 23' connected to the forward sprocket Wheel 24 as by a shaft 33. Turning the crank handle in eitherfdirection willv cause the forward sprocket to rotate and actuate the sprocket chainthereby moving bracket 29, rod 3| and inturn either sliding the panel I2 away from the opening il or to close the opening according to direction of movement imparted to the sprocket chain.

not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the' exact"construction or operation shown or described except as set forth in the following 5i claim when construed in the light of the prior art. 1 I claim:

A few turns of the crank handle in eitherv direction will permit limited A sliding roof panelrof'. the character described adapted `to open and close anl opening in a roof of a vehicle, said sliding roof comprising a -window enclosed within a frameand slidable in a pair of parallelly spaced tracks on said roof,

means for operating Vthe sliding panel in said tracks, said means comprising a rectangular" from the forward end of the rcd having a down- 4,

wardly directed crank handle adapted to actuate the sprocket chain andY yrod thereby moving the said sliding panel for opening and/or closing the open part of the roof.

Y MICHAEL MARCHENKO. 

